Page 66 of Revealing Mark

“I’ve been keeping tabs on you.”

I shrugged. “I know that.”

He shook his head. “Not just having you watched.”

“I don’t understand.” What could he have done?

“I never believed you could be the type to do things for money.” He sounded like he was in pain and I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I saw the look of distaste in his expression.

“You’re not making any sense.”

He stood and shoved the folder over to me. “I kept tabs on your accounts. I know some of your accounts fell into arrears.”

I felt violated. My mouth gaped open when I opened the folder and saw statements to my account. “How could you?”

“I did it because I cared.”

I shook my head, unable to process what he was saying.

“I caught you in a hotel room with some stranger and then you receive an astronomical amount of money.”

It took a few moments before I realized what he was getting at. “You think I…” I couldn’t even finish the sentence.

I was flabbergasted.

“If you needed help, all you had to do was ask,” he said, walking around to lean against the desk. “I would have done anything to help you.”

“So, you think I sold…myself?” I finally managed to string the sentence together.

“How else can you explain the stranger and the money?”

Gabriel had mentioned something about inheritance payments. I had no idea how much had been paid. I had been too occupied with everything else to be concerned about that.

I felt sick that he would believe I was capable of that. Now I understood the look of distaste.

I could explain, but I felt betrayed by him. If he could believe that, then we didn’t have a chance at anything. How could there be anything when he couldn’t trust me? He would eventually find out who Sebastian was, but it wouldn’t be from me.

With all the dignity I could muster, I stood and closed the folder, leaving it on the desk.

“Well then, we have nothing to talk about.” I felt the tremor in my voice.

I was trying to get out of there but he stepped into my path. “Tell me I’m wrong,” he insisted, his eyes searching mine. “Tell me this isn’t what this was.”

I couldn’t look him in the eye. It was too much. It hurt. “I think it’s time I leave.” My voice sounded void of emotion.

He sighed and stepped out of my way, allowing me to leave. I hurried out of there quickly, feeling my resolve about to crack. I yanked the door open and shut it behind me.

It was only when I got out of the building, when my chest was rising and falling with each agonizing breath, I realized all those years of loving him and it had ended like this. He couldn’t trust me and that meant we had nothing, despite caring for each other. Maybe this was for the best.

How could he believe I would do something like that? I had always believed he knew me well, but this showed he didn’t know me at all.

It sucked but I still had more important things I needed to deal with. Matthew and Sophie deserved an explanation and I still had to confront my parents. My biggest dilemma was which one I should do first.

It would be so easy to call Matthew and Sophie and tell them but I had to at least give my parents the chance to explain before I told my siblings.

One last time, I looked up at building I had just exited. He would find out the truth but then it would be too late.

“What the hell is going on with you?” Matthew shouted.